Climate campaign 'One Tonne Less'

The "One Tonne Less" campaign has ended

The "One Tonne Less" campaign was launched on 29 March 2007 and was scheduled to run until the end of 2008. However, the campaign was extended for an additional year in 2009 due to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen (COP15). The campaign closed on 31 December 2009. The campaign's message was that we must all take responsibility for the future and reduce our personal CO2 emissions. One of the fundamental messages of the campaign was that this can be done without waving goodbye to our modern way of life – all we have to do is to change some of our everyday habits.


The campaign's goal - and results

The "One Tonne Less" campaign's stated goal was to reach out to the whole Danish population with knowledge and advice on how to reduce their personal CO2 emissions, and make CO2 and energy savings a common cause for everyone. To achieve this goal, multiple communication channels and activities were used. The four cornerstones of communication were an Internet-based CO2 calculator, a variety of specific instructions on how individuals can reduce CO2 emissions in everyday life, local partner activities and the campaign's trademark, a giant "1 tonne less" globe, which has toured throughout Denmark. The initial target of the campaign was to get 50,000 Danes to deliver a climate pledge to save 1 tonne of CO2 a year. By the end of the campaign there were over 92,000 climate pledges that together represent a saving of approximately 163,000 tonnes of CO2, making the average pledge to save more than one tonne of CO2.

Part of the challenge behind the "One Tonne Less" campaign was to make one tonne of CO2 emissions more palpable, because it is not something you can see with the naked eye. With its 10-meter diameter and bright orange colouring, the campaign's trademark "1 tonne of CO2" globe had the same volume as one tonne of CO2. The globe toured around Denmark, and was used at small local NGO events, major festivals and sporting events.


Partners - the campaign’s backbone

One of the unique features of the ‘One Tonne Less’ campaign was its partnerships with a range of companies, institutions, municipalities and NGOs who undertook the task to spread the campaign's logo and messages in their communications with the outside world. Through the joint effort in these public-private partnerships, the campaign has managed to spread its message to areas that would otherwise have been difficult to reach.


www.energisparebolig.dk

In 2009 the campaign focused on more advanced and heavy investment solutions that can reduce energy consumption in private homes with the launch of the campaign site on energy-saving in households. This site is only available in Danish.


One Tonne Less during COP15

The campaign ended with a broad pallet of activities during COP15. Campaign globes were established at the Bella Center, Christiansborg and Højbro Plads. In collaboration with the Danish Scouts, a climate camp was arranged at Højbro Plads with climate information and scouting activities. The "One Tonne Less" message was disseminated through a partnership with the nationwide radio station NOVAfm, reaching a broad cross-section of the population. The "One Tonne Less" campaign also supported the Danish TV’s youth program "Ignorant" where young people learned to live in a more climate-friendly way, and the "One Tonne Less" globes were included in a clothing-swap event hosted by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation on the Town Hall Square in Copenhagen during the Climate Summit. The estate agent chain, Home, was also a part of the climate camp at Højbro Plads and passed on the "One Tonne Less" messages to thousands of Danish homeowners through their property newspaper in the weeks during the Climate Summit.


Evaluation

The campaign will be evaluated in 2010. You can read more about the campaign's strategy and activities in the anthology of experience to the right.


Contact

Mette Vingaard

Senior Adviser

Management and Media Relations

Phone: +45 3392 6677
mvi@ens.dk

Mette Vingaard
Danish Energy Agency    Amaliegade 44     DK 1256 Copenhagen K    Phone: +45 33 92 67 00    Fax: +45 33 11 47 43    ens@ens.dk    Further contact information